Why Women Everywhere Are Embracing the "No Makeup" Trend

While some women are stocking up on fall shades of lipstick and eyeshadow, others are planning to go bare-faced for good.

A growing number of celebrities and "real" women are choosing not to wear any makeup at all thanks to the increasingly popular #NoMakeup movement taking over social media, according to the Huffington Post. Many are even taking it a step further by revealing their stretch marks, acne, untamed hair, and other "flaws."

It all started with Alicia Keys, who announced she would no longer be wearing makeup in her personal or public life, which includes her appearances as a coach on the popular NBC show The Voice. The singer explained that she was tired of covering up her face, and thereby also masking who she really is, in a recent issue of Lenny Letter.

"Every time I left the house, I would be worried if I didn't put on makeup," she wrote. "These were the insecure, superficial, but honest thoughts I was thinking. And all of it, one way or another, was based too much on what other people thought of me."

She said her outlook changed when she was photographed without makeup for the release of her new song "In Common." Women responded to the photograph with #NoMakeup selfies and that's when Alicia realized just how powerful a bare face could be.

"I hope to God it's a revolution," she said. "'Cause I don't want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul. Nothing."

What began as one photograph, has already impacted women everywhere.

In this Huffington Post video, celebs and ordinary folks got refreshingly honest about what their real faces look like and their biggest insecurities. "Both men and women are revealing their true selves," the video explains.

Do a quick search for the #NoMakeup hashtag on Instagram and you'll see that the movement already has over 12 million tags. Here are some of our favorite women going bare-faced for good or just for the day.

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